Kings perform secret medical evaluation on Michael Porter Jr. Here are the results

Exclusive sources are now revealing that rising draft prospect Michael Porter Jr. was brought in for a secret medical evaluation by the Kings. The facts, as they slowly dribble out, are extraordinary.

Porter was flown in to Sacramento on a private jet and ferried to Golden1 Center last week under the cover of darkness. Only a few people in the organization knew about the meeting.

According to sources, General Manager Vlade Divac began the examination by holding a mirror to Porter's mouth to make sure he was breathing. Divac nodded happily when the mirror fogged and gave a lively thumbs-up to team owner Vivek Ranadive.

Porter, who was in excruciating pain, crawled across the floor in an agility drill, avoiding paper clips and assorted office supplies. Ranadive was so impressed, he pumped his fist and winked at Assistant GM Peja Stojakovic, who watched the entire examination with mouth agape.

The Kings, who couldn't find an orthopedist in time for the examination, brought in a highly regarded local veterinarian to finish the exam. The vet proceeded to check Porter's snout,  examine his skin for fleas, scratch him behind the ears, and give him a vaccination for ringworm. Porter seemed confused, but went along with the exam.

The Kings drilled Porter with a number of probing questions.

Divac asked if Porter still had any problems with his back.

"Nope," Porter reportedly responded. "All good"

"Awesome," Divac said. "I'm happy"

Porter then grimaced as he attempted to get to his feet, grasping at his hip.

"What's wrong?" Ranadive reportedly asked.

"Jet lag," Porter said, his face red and sweat dripping down his forehead.

Ranadive smiled. "Happens to me all the time," he said.

According to sources, an intern then entered with donuts, surprised to see Porter.  "I thought we were set on Doncic?" the intern reportedly said.

Sources said the intern was quickly escorted out of the room as Divac made sure Porter was fully aware that nothing they found would convince them not to draft him.

"You could have a fatal brain disease and be wanted in five states for bank fraud and we'd draft you," Divac reportedly told Porter. "We just love your upside. We've seen you dunk on high school kids. We think you are going to be a superstar. And we know superstars. Ever hear of Nik Stauskas?"

The examination took less than 20 minutes before Porter limped from the room, yelping loudly once when Divac patted him on the back.

Sources say the Kings have now done all their due diligence and won't be swayed from their selection. "We are smart and savvy," Divac reportedly bragged to another employee, "we can afford to take a small, tiny itsy-bitsy risk. I mean, it's not like we don't have another first-round pick next year."

The employee reportedly shook his head as Divac danced away.

Do the King have a De'Aaron Fox problem?

Okay, let's get the prerequisite objections out of the way for the lackluster play of Kings rookie De'Aaron Fox.

He's only 19.

His shot is going to get better.

He's playing with slow teammates.

Fans need to show some patience.

All legitimate. All probably correct. But also red flags for the highly touted point guard out of Kentucky, who was drafted fifth by the Kings and was expected to wow the league with his incredible quickness.

So let's get down to reality.

He is not playing well.  He is not a threat outside of 12 feet.  He is not initiating the offense. He is not penetrating and making plays.  He's getting lost on defense. And he is turning the ball over.

Oh, and one last thing: The other rookie point guard - Frank Mason - is absolutely doing all of the things that Fox is not. He's been gritty and fierce and, most importantly, willing to take control.

Yes, Mason is older and far more experienced, but that doesn't excuse the biggest red flag of all about Fox:

Fox has been oddly passive,

It's strange to watch Fox simply get into the front court, hand the ball off and move quietly to the corner. It's even stranger because he's the primary ball handler, even with George Hill on the court.

But he's not calling for picks and he's not directing traffic. And he certainly isn't drawing defenders.

Maybe he doesn't feel comfortable yet in the offense. Maybe he doesn't want to step on toes.

But if the Kings are looking for an Alpha-dog attitude to lead their team for the next decade, the sight of Fox has to be concerning.

Fox obviously has talent. But does he have that intangible "it factor" that turns talent into stardom?  So far, we haven't seen it. And that's not a factor of youth. It's a factor of attitude.

The Kings desperately need a star.  Fox, an amazingly likable kid, shines in his off-court interviews. He could own Sacramento - and the league - by fulfilling his potential.

The odds are that Fox will figure it out on the court, but you can't change the internal combustion engine of a player.

Kings fans need to see a few games - even a few glimpses - that prove Fox is ready to grab the league by the collar and announce his arrival.

Why Doug Christie Should Be the Next Kings Coach

Stale air.

Awful, stinky stale air.

You can see it.  You can taste it.

It's been like a thick layer of pollution hanging over Sleep Train Arena for the last decade and, most notably, over the past five seasons.

That's what it's like to be a Kings fan. You're trapped beneath a suffocating fog of despair.

You choke on every decision. You gag when you watch the team play defense. You feel your chest tighten every time DeMarcus Cousins goes full nut job.

And the worst part? There doesn't seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel. 

The next four first-round picks are completely up in the air. Will they keep them? Will they need to swap them?

Their young players, except perhaps Willie Cauley-Stein, have been busts. Their veterans are of little value to a team that wants to compete for a playoff spot.

And their All-Star cornerstone - Cousins - has yet to prove he can behave well with others, much less figure out how to play a full game of basketball without making more anguished faces than a five-year-old waiting in an endless line at Disneyland.

But there's one thing they can do.

There's one thing that can instantly change the atmosphere, clear the air, and let the sun shine in.

Hire Doug Christie to coach the team. 

Yup, Doug Christie.

Forget the retreads like Scott Brooks and Mark Jackson. Not impressed. Seen 'em. Don't need to see them again.

Christie brings something the Kings and this city have been sorely missing for the past 10 years...

Joy.

And enthusiasm.

And a love of the game.

Oh, and by the way, he's very smart, too. I'm a believer after listening to him as a team analyst this year. 

Now I'm not usually a fan of bringing in someone with zero experience as a coach, but there's just something about Christie that makes me believe he's a winner. You can feel it - right through the TV screen. And if you can feel it through the TV screen, you better bet you can feel it in person.

Christie's a fighter, too. Just ask Rick Fox.

Is it a gamble? Maybe. 

But at this point, Kings fans just want to breathe fresh air again. And having a joyful warrior like Christie at the helm would instantly bring a brand new karma to the team.

So Mr. Ranadive, it's in your court. You pride yourself on thinking out of the box. 

This one is sitting on a box right in front of you.

Make the call.

Time for Kings fans to start dreaming again

Time to take a deep breath, Kings fans.

Your long national nightmare is finally over.  The city won.  The carpetbaggers lost.  And now you can clear your head and start dreaming.

You can dream about an ownership that aspires to NBA titles and not to bargain-basement personnel moves.

You can dream about a team that will be able to compete in the free-agent market.

You can dream about an arena in the center of a vibrant city center, a place where you'll want to go long before a game and stay long after.

You can dream about player stats instead of binding sale agreements.

You can dream about Travis Outlaw (okay, maybe that's going too far).  But you can dream about DeMarcus Cousins being coached by a top-notch thinker and motivator.

You can dream about a city that thinks big and takes risks because that's what world-class cities do, despite the knee-jerk blowback of doomsayers.  Yes, folks, the city will be a better place for having pro basketball and a new arena. 

Sleep well, Kings fans.  Because even though the big, bad Maloofs may want to cause more trouble before they exit stage left, the future finally has a clear and wonderful path.

  

Can Petrie be charged with sports franchise malpractice?

Can team officials be charged with sports franchise malpractice?

Because that's exactly what should happen to the Kings' Geoff Petrie.

What he's done to this franchise over the page few years is a downright embarrassment.  A team that a decade ago prided itself on passing, ball movement, and team play has become the NBA's poster child for selfishness. 

And you can lay the blame at the feet of Petrie.

For some some reason, he fell in love with gunners. 

Tyreke Evans.   Aaron Brooks.  Marcus Thornton.  DeMarcus Cousins.  Jimmer Fredette.

None of them has ever shown the slightest interest in sharing the ball, but Petrie thought it was a brilliant idea to collect them all and shove them in front of a coach with no clue how to tame them.

That coach - Keith Smart - is not going to turn things around.  He is overmatched as a strategist and motivator.  Yet Petrie decided to hand him a contract extension during the offseason.

Petrie has been living off a few clever moves from more than 12 years ago.  But he is no longer considered an upper-echelon front-office guy.

He still hasn't found a small forward for the team, despite years of nothing at that position.  His acquisition of John Salmons last year was one of the worst personnel moves in NBA history.  And don't get me started on Travis Outlaw.

 The point-guard position is still weak, despite my soft spot for Isaiah Thomas.  Nobody on the team is capable of running  a simple pick-and-roll and setting up a teammate.

Cousins is considered a bright spot, but if the first few games are any indication, he is still a ticking time bomb, supremely moody and seemingly incapable of playing the game without making surly faces at every perceived slight.   

It's sad.  It's pathetic.  And it's time to point the finger at the man who is most responsible for this disaster.

Mr. Petrie, come take a bow.

Pathetic Maloofs sell draft pick in team's most ignoble moment

The day was going just about perfectly.

The Kings and Geoff Petrie had lucked into the selection of talented power forward Thomas Robinson with the 5th pick.

In my opinion, he was the best possible player in the draft for the Kings.  A guy who could help this season.  Tough. Aggressive.  Great motor.

It couldn't get any better, could it?

Nope.

It didn't.  It got strange.

By the time the second round came rolling around, the state of the current ownership came clearly into focus.

The Maloofs are bankrupt.  Broke.  Penniless.

How else to explain why you would simply sell your second-round pick for cash?

This is not something a bottom-dwelling professional franchise does.  This is a team that desperately needs talent.  Tossing away a chance at another player is stupid.  Very stupid.

But these are the Maloofs.  And, well, there's really no other explanation needed, is there?

Please don't tell us your finances are fine and then pull a stunt like this.  If you can't afford to own a team, that's no sin.  But don't take down a franchise to salvage your pride.

Guess the boys needed a little walking-around money.

Or maybe they needed to invest in another doomsday economist.

Just pathetic.

Truly pathetic.

Revealed: Secret Maloof daily schedule

You've probably been wondering what the Maloofs, the owners of the Sacramento Kings, have been doing lately.

You see, everyone seems to think the Kings have become irrelevant.  But just because you never hear a whisper about a possible move as the draft approaches, that's no reason to believe that nothing is being done.

And even if every potential draft choice has decided take a wide berth around Sacramento and refuse to work out for the team, that's no reason to think the Maloofs aren't digging deep to make things happen.

Here at Kings Talking Points, we've got proof the brothers are working damn hard.  We've obtained an alleged daily schedule for the Maloof brothers.  Take a look.  It may change your mind.

8 a.m.: Morning Bikram Yoga.  Clothing optional.  Joe and Gavin attending.  Bring extra towels - Gavin tends to sweat a little too much for the room.

9:30 a.m.: Home renovation class at Home Depot.  This week's topic: How to fix those pesky luxury boxes with a little paint and spackle.  George attending.  Joe and Gavin waiting in truck.

11 a.m.:  Man the phones for onslaught of season ticket renewal calls.  George, Gavin and Joe.  Gavin requests that this time there be no jokes about playing Simon and Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence" as background music.

11:16 a.m.: Use season-ticket phone to order pizza for lunch.  Gluten-free crust, please.

11:20 a.m.: Prepare for conference call with NBA and David Stern by gathering little-known but damning facts about Sacramento's awful economy.  Gavin attending.

11:46 a.m.:  Conference call with David Stern and NBA.  Team attorneys will be present on call to gently allude to anti-trust violations, but George demands that everyone treat "that little power-mad runt" with respect.

12:30 p.m.:  Lunch.  Casual dress.  Courtside during auditions for Kings dance team.  George requests that Gavin and Joe refrain from getting up from their seats and giving any individual dancer a standing ovation.  Please wear loose-fitting pants.

2 p.m.:  Maloof family nap.  Spooning optional.  George, Gavin and Joe attending.  Possible appearance by sister Adrienne.

4 p.m.:  Meeting with team vice president Geoff Petrie to discuss potential free-agent signings.  George notes that their checking account at Wells Fargo is currently overdrawn so any offers made to prospective players will need to be done with fingers crossed behind back.

5:30 p.m.:  Research session on possible draft picks.  Special guest speaker:  Some guy who attended a North Carolina game a few months back and remembers seeing a good player, although he doesn't remember the kid's name.  Gavin and Joe attending.

6:30 p.m.: Prep for confidential, top-secret meeting with Mr. Big.  Identity to remain secret.  Gavin sent to airport to pick him up after his flight from Seattle arrives.

8:30 p.m.: Top-secret meeting.  No further details.

10:30 p.m.:  Bedtime.  Gavin tucks in Joe tonight.  George gets the couch.

George Maloof, American Hero

Kings owner George Maloof was on Grant Napear's radio show on KHTK Friday afternoon to deliver a firm defense of his team's position.

Here are the highlights:

George Maloof is an American hero.

He thinks about his community first.

He believes that we should hire cops and firefighters and put that pesky arena thingy on the back burner.

He is says he's perfectly fine with a nice paint job on the old arena.

He says the team stands ready and able to spend money on players.

He doesn't understand why people consider him a villain.

It was such an impossibly lame, self-serving example of double-speak that you could barely believe he was able to get through the interview without uttering an evil giggle.  Through it all,  Mr. Napear barely managed to challenge a single assertion.

Like why the Kings allowed the NBA to negotiate for them over the past year without an inkling of what was being negotiated.

Like why Gavin and Joe have been effectively silenced after years of being the faces of the franchise.

Like why, if the Kings want to stay in Sacramento, they won't sign some kind of agreement to stay in the city for at least the next three years.

Like why any Kings fan should believe the Maloof family has the financial ability to compete in the world of professional sports.

Like pushing George to offer one example of how the Kings have spent any money in the past five years to spruce up the current arena.

Like why we should think that the Maloofs have any business acumen at all after the deterioration of both the Palms Casino and the Kings over the past 10 years.

Like why a team that was so committed to staying in Sacramento had all but packed the moving vans last year to head for Anaheim.

Then again, I suppose there is no need to question George Maloof about any of those things.

After all, he is an American hero.

Grant Napear officially declares he's a shill for Maloofs

Thank you Grant Napear.

Yup, in a none-too-shocking admission, KHTK's resident sports blowhard finally admitted it on Monday.

He's a shill for the Maloofs.

A mouthpiece.  A plant.  An accomplice. The Panderer-in-Chief.

Now he didn't have to use those exact words, but it was clear when he proudly proclaimed on his radio show that there's no reason for him to badmouth the Maloofs since the Maloofs have been very good for Grant Napear (yes, he used the dreaded third person).

This is all fine and dandy, except Mr. Napear has always slyly implied that he's an even-handed player in the entire arena debacle.

Look, I wouldn't blast my boss if he was writing my checks either, but I would make it clear almost every time the subject came up by stating these simple words:

I am not a fair arbiter in this situation since I am employed by the owners of the Kings, but I would be happy to give you my opinion.

That almost never happened.

Instead, for years, he has berated caller after caller who dared to hold the Maloofs in a less-than-flattering light.

He must have a bulging hernia for all the water he's carried.

And now, when everyone in the sports world can see that the Maloof behavior has risen to the level of Weasel Defcon I, there is no way he should be even attempting to maneuver his flighty bosses into a more favorable position.

The NBA thinks the Maloofs have lost their minds.

The city of Sacramento thinks they're dishonest liars.

The Sacramento fans have had it with the years of insufferable negotiation stances.

But Grant "The Shill" Napear believes we should all just back off, play nice, and give all the sides the benefit of the doubt.

This is so transparently the message of P.R. outfit hired by the Kings that is is truly laughable.

Yes, the Maloofs have finally shown their true colors.

And finally, so has Grant Napear.

EMPTY THE ARENA. DON'T GO TO THE FINAL 4 GAMES

It's time to make another statement, Kings fans.

You did it last year when you wanted the team to stay.

Now it's time to do it again.  Except this time it's about being jobbed.  It's about being taken for a ride.  It's about a trio of clueless brothers named Maloof.

Friday's despicable display by the Maloofs was inexcusable and perhaps one of the most embarrassing presentations in the history of sports ownership.

Parading a dull economist in front of the press to basically tear the city's arena plan to shreds was a pure affront to any Kings' fan who was brave enough to watch.

George Maloof acted like a child who had no idea why things hadn't gone his way in the sandbox.  He was gonna pout and whine and claim that little Kevie hit him in the face with a shovel.

These guys are morally and financially broke.

They have no money because they have no business acumen. In fact, they have no businesses.   They have no way to make money any more.  Owning an NBA team is not a profitable business.  It's a hobby for rich men.  The Maloofs don't qualify.

So what can the fans do?

Easy.

Empty the arena.  Don't set foot in the place for the final four games.

Make it a ghost town.

The sports world doesn't care one iota about Sacramento, but it's time to hold up the owners to the ridicule they deserve.

Stay home.

Empty the arena.

Let the team play in silence.

When the highlights appear on ESPN,  the sound of shame will be deafening to the Maloofs.

Maloofs balk at paying for toilet paper in new arena

Thanks to a close confidant who slipped me an unmarked envelope outside of the Arby's in Vacaville last night, I can reveal the alleged contents of a secret memo sent by George Maloofs to his brothers Joe and Gavin.

This explosive memo outlines the team's financial concerns over the new arena deal. Here are the alleged highlights:

--Why on earth should we foot the bill for toilet paper in the new building's bathrooms? This is just silly. That's expensive, especially considering all the gastro-intestinal problems our fans suffer because of our Kings dogs. Ask KJ to spring for the TP.

--There is no way we are paying for somebody to design the stinking arena. How hard can it be? I'll get one of my cocktail waitresses from the Palms to do it. I know this one girl who almost has her graphic arts degree from this really great community college near Pahrump. She'll do it as a favor to me.

--Should we really be paying any rent at all? Anaheim says they'll let us play there for chicken feed. They love us. If we keep raising a stink, I'm sure we can make this pesky deal go away. And I can handle Stern, believe me. He might be short and muscular, but I'm frizzy haired and half nuts.

--Looks like that cocky mayor wants us to provide ushers, security and safety lighting during games. He's gone too far. This is just outrageous. We never agreed to any of this. One more demand and we are done. Period. I mean it. No, really. We are Maloofs, not suckers. You can't expect us to pay for everything.

--Just got a note from the league. They want us to pay the salaries of Travis Outlaw, John Salmons, Francisco Garcia and Chuck Hayes. Hell no. That's Petrie's mess. Send him the damn bill.

Arena deal just doesn't pencil out with Maloofs as owners

Do the Maloofs have any money left?

That's the $387 million question as the all-important arena vote looms.

With the team struggling to fill the arena, their Power Balance naming rights deal in tatters, their casino interests drained almost to zero, and no other seeming revenue streams, how do these guys come up with any cash?

It's almost comical to think they will be able to pony up with anything close to the $85 million that Sacramento is demanding to build the arena.

And would the NBA lend them the money when Anaheim is willing and able to welcome them without a penny out of pocket?

This is looking bleak.  And sadly, it's not going to be on the City of Sacramento this time.  Because unless the Brothers Maloof finally relent and sell the team, I can't see how this deal works.

Does commissioner David Stern have the juice to force a sale? Doubtful.  Especially after the lockout fiasco that proved small-market teams have begun to erode his once enormous power.

Let's look at some harsh numbers:

--In 2009-10, a total of 23 of the NBA's team worked at an operating loss.  Eleven teams had net losses of more than $20 million.  With the economy in the tank and Sacramento hurting, you can bet the Kings are one of the league's least profitable teams.

--The Kings already owe the city the balance of a $70 million loan.  Combine that with a $60 million loan from the NBA and Maloofs would be sitting on $130 million in debt with no positive cash flow.

--The Kings would be simply tenants in the new building, meaning they would get no cash flow from parking or other events beyond basketball.

Now, nobody has yet explained why the Kings need to come up with this huge block of cash upfront.  It doesn't really make sense.  Yearly leasing fees would be much easier for the team to handle.

But that's the game of chicken being played right now.

From this vantage point, only new owners with very deep pockets make this deal in Sacramento work.

I could be wrong.  I hope I am.

But the Kings could not be in worse shape.  On the court, the team is a mismatched assemblage of ill-fitting parts.  Off the court, the owners have become financial zombies, former millionaires who just stumble through life with the desperate aura of lost wealth.

I just can't see how the Kings remain in Sacramento with the Maloofs as owners.

Zombie Arena is just not going to cut it.




.

The Secret Transcript of personal call between C-Webb and Grant Napear

By now, you've probably heard about the infamous encounter between Chris Webber and Grant Napear on Grant's radio show on Friday.  If you didn't, here's a quick recap: 

C-Webb babbled on for three minutes about how he has made it his one-man mission to save the Kings and was offended that someone would question his motives, all the while never answering Napear's question about an obvious misstatement made during TNT's Thursday night' broadcast against the Thunder.  He then hung up.

Easily the most entertaining moment in the history of Grant Napear simply because:

A.)  Grant barely spoke.
B.)  Webber showed himself to be a total ass.

But did anyone know that Napear allegedly made a personal call to Webber off the air just minutes after his show ended.

Thanks to an inside source at the radio station, we have the alleged transcript of that call.

Grant: Yo, Chris...

Webber:  Who's this?

Grant: It's me.  Grant.

Webber: Shit.

Grant: Don't hang up.

Webber: I game you the damn interview.  What else do you want?

Grant: I just wanted--

Webber: To apologize?

Grant: No.

Webber: I'm C-Webb, you know.

Grant: I know.

Webber:  Don't freakin' question me.  Tell me your sorry.

Grant: But I just wanted--

Webber: I love Sacramento.  I once for a couple of minutes thought about living there after I finished playing.  Thanks to me, people know where your damn-ass city even is.

Grant: Well that's not exactly true.

Webber:  Damn straight it is.  Why are you calling me?  I have to go to a wardrobe check. 

Grant:  Look, I guess I might be a little sorry you felt--

Webber:  That's right. Start sucking up, Grant.  Like when you talk to Gavin and Joe.  Never heard you ask them a tough question.

Grant:  That's insulting.

Webber: Oh yeah, I forgot, you do berate your dumb-ass callers.  Getting all New Yawk on them.  Why does anybody listen to you?

Grant:  I happen to be the top-rated radio sports host in Sacramento.

Webber: You're the only radio sports host in Sacramento.

(long pause)

Grant: I like you Chris.

Webber: Call me Mr. Webber.

Grant: What?

Webber:  You got wax in your ears?

Grant:  This isn't fair.  I was only asking you a simple question and then you--

Webber: You tell those broke-ass owners they should be bowing down and thanking me.

Grant: Thanking you? 

Webber: When I talk, people listen. I'm C-Webb.  C-Webb carries a lot of juice.  C-Webb rules the roost.

Grant: Why are you talking about yourself in the third person?

Webber:  What third person, ass?  It's just me and you.  It's just C-Webb and you.  No third person. 

(long pause)

Grant: I'm done.

Webber:  Don't be angry, Grant.

Grant: This is unbelievable.

Webber: Tell the people of Sacramento I love them.

Grant: Go to hell.

(dial tone)

Five Downright Undeniable Truths About the Kings right now

Five things I know for sure right now about the Sacramento Kings:

1.  The Kings will never get to the playoffs with Tyreke Evans as their point guard.  Sorry, folks, just don't see it happening.  He's a fullback masquerading as a basketball player imitating a point guard.  And he has spurts of being spectacular, especially when his feet aren't aching.  But I just don't see him as the guy who's taking the team to the next level - not if he's the man running the offense.  I still think he's a great trade chip in a mega-trade for a great point guard, but I doubt the franchise has the guts to pull the trigger on a deal.

2. Funding the new arena by privatizing city parking lots is a stupendously bad idea.  Paul Clegg's blog http://gameto100.com/?p=977#storylink=scwidget tells the ugly truth.  Not sure why a simple $5 dollar surcharge on every ticket was ignored as a solution, but this parking fiasco will come back to bite KJ in the butt.

3. Geoff Petrie is an awful general manager and has been living off a few good deals and signings made a decade ago.  Sad but true.  Some awful decisions of late (trading for Salmons and signing Outlaw to name a couple) put him in the bottom rung of NBA brains.  He's become a non-entity around the league.  

4. DeMarcus Cousins is going to be a star and I've been impressed with his tenacity and hustle, but he's going to have spend a solid summer working on footwork and jump hooks in order to overcome his lack of jumping ability.  Cousins is consistently stuffed when trying to work inside because he has no clue about how to maneuver against more athletic big men.

5. It's more fun to root for likable players.  Rookie Isaiah Thomas may never be an elite player or even a starter, but his smile, verve, aggressiveness and poise make him a fan favorite.  And he passes the ball, too.  Selfish players are not easy to like, unless they are stone-cold superstars.  The Kings have too many stone-cold selfish stiffs.

Maloofs can't be this stupid. can they?

So how is it possible that the formerly rich Maloof brothers can't see the giant poop stain sitting in front of their courtside seats?

How is it possible that every Kings fan wants to see coach Paul Westphal shoved out the door yet the Brothers Grim are blind?

How is it possible that the team owners who promised to move heaven and earth and spend like crazy in an attempt to improve the team are still near the league minimum in team salary?

How is it possible that those wacky brothers have not told Geoff Petrie to use his supposed creative genius to craft a deal for a veteran star talent?

How is it possible that Gavin and Joe can't see that the current squad is so unlikable and plays such a selfish, uninspiring brand of basketball that the arena will be empty in a matter in months?

How do these Two Blundering Blokes not see that Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins have been mismanaged so badly that the team's coaches should be charged with basketball malpractice?

Well, here's the answer...

They know all those things.  Every one of them.

But they are not going to do a thing.

Not for at least two more months.

I hope I'm wrong, but their only strategy seems to be the stall.  And the stall is meant to kill enthusiasm.  And to kill fan interest.  And to show David Stern that they were right last year...

That the team belongs in Anaheim... where a pot of gold awaits.

Even if the city comes up with a viable arena deal, the Maloofs can argue the terms, balk at the rental fees, and crumble it.

Some argue it's out of the Maloofs' hands.  That it will be Stern's call.  I don't buy it.

Prove me wrong, Maloofs.  I'd be more than happy to admit it.

Make a move.  Make two moves.  Show some guts.  Spend some money.  Make a league-shattering deal.  Bring in a top coach.

C'mon, Maloofs, I dare you.

Because it ain't gonna happen.

Cousins wants a trade? Trade him. Trade everyone.

If DeMarcus Cousins wants a trade, I say trade him.

And trade Tyreke Evans, too.

And fire Paul Westphal.

And Geoff Petrie.

Hell, that usher in Section 116 needs to go, too.

Can the Maloofs fire themselves?

All hell has broken loose in Kings Land and we're not even a week in.  How much fun is this?

The Maloofs are getting exactly what they deserve.  An egomaniacal group of self-centered players and a coach who has no idea how to get them to behave.

This is the team they have assembled.  These are the type of players Petrie has been directed to acquire.  Style over substance.

Take Jimmer Fredette.  The guy has no business getting more than 10 minutes a game right now.  He does not now how to run an offense.  He can't play even a lick of defense.  And his ball-handling skills are mediocre at best.  But the Maloofs saw a quick way to make a buck by taking advantage of Jimmer mania.

Two years ago, they forcefed Tyreke Evans into thinking he was Kobe.  He was never coached.  Still hasn't been coached.  And the results are evident.

Last year, the team drafted DeMarcus Cousins and prayed he wouldn't detonate.  A year later, the bomb has gone off and the fallout is all over the franchise.

The Kings have become radioactive.   Call in the Haz-Mat Team.

It's a hopeless assemblage.  And it needs to be dismantled before more fans bleed from the team and the chances for an arena are eradicated completely.

Start from scratch right now.  There's nothing to lose.  The team can't go backwards.  They are stuck in reverse against a concrete wall.

Time for Kings to put up or shut up

Chuck Hayes?

Really?

That's the best we're gonna do?

Well, it ain't good enough.  Not by a long shot.

Not if you've been listening to the propaganda drivel spewed by this franchise over the past five years.  They've been waiting for this chance.  Waiting to spend.

Yes, I know Sacramento is a small-market with little or no appeal to the NBA's big names.

But now there is no excuse not to spend.  In fact, the dirt-poor Maloofs have to spend.  And that means they are going to have to do one of two things:

One:  Offer a max deal with stupid, silly money for either Tyson Chandler or Marc Gasol, hoping to make a big splash and possibly getting lucky.

Two:  Make a blockbuster trade.

I vote for the second option, mainly because the Kings have some talented players that are highly coveted around the league.

I'd trade DeMarcus Cousins or Tyreke Evans in a second if I could bring back some upper-crust valuable win-now talent.   I'm not convinced either player is a team player.  And Sacramento fans don't have another four years to watch them develop.  After all, the team could be in Anaheim by this time next December.

It's time to win now.  Like this minute.  This season.

Get me some unselfish ballers.  Some veterans.  Some winners.

SHOCKING SIGNS SPROUT UP AROUND SACRAMENTO AS NBA LOCKOUT ENDS

 The NBA lockout is over an you can feel the passion again.  Just look around the city of Sacramento.  The signs are everywhere -- actual signs.

Have a look...

And yes, I am very immature.

We'll soon see if Maloofs are going to back up their words with hard cash

With the end of the lockout looming, it's almost time to focus on basketball-related matters again.

Specifically, free agency.

More specifically, the Maloofs and their wallets and free agency.

Just last spring, after the team was miraculously saved for one more season in Sacramento, Gavin and Joe Maloof pledged that they would finally open the bank vault and go in big for free agents.

Does anyone still believe that?

Because I sure don't.  The family finances are still in a downward spiral.  Sister Adrienne, of Beverly Hills Housewife fame, is even crying poor.

I'd like to be proven wrong, but I don't see how the Kings invest a ton of money this season.  I still think the owners bear a bit of a grudge against Sacramento for submarining their Anaheim deal.  They probably don't believe the city will get their act together on an arena deal so why spend money right now?  Do it after they go to Anaheim in order to make a big splash in Southern Cal.

Then again, maybe the Maloofs are newly committed to Sacramento.

But I'll believe it when I see them writing checks.  Unfortunately, there might not be enough in the bank to stop those checks from bouncing.

Build it in Natomas, stupid

The pipe dream that is the Railyards Arena may be the stupidest political folly in recent memory.

With more moving parts than a Rube Goldberg contraption, this longshot plan is a grand slam home run if it somehow comes together.

But the more likely outcome is that it will crumble.  And crumble badly.

Now here's the sad part:  Building a new arena on the site of the current arena would be far cheaper to fund, easier to build, more cost effective as a construction project, and smarter overall.

The infrastructure is there.  The parking is there.  The freeway on-ramps are there.  The footprint is there.

It's a slam dunk at this point simply because the city has probably targeted enough financial sources to fund a new Natomas arena right now.

So what's the upside to building in Natomas?

Well, you keep the Kings, for one.

And you have an arena far sooner.

You don't need to wade through environmental reports, crazy parking schemes, and rely on a plan that may or may not appeal to the Maloofs.

Plus, you don't decimate the economy surrounding the current arena.

I say build in the railyards, but don't build an arena.  Build an entertainment complex -- how about an amphitheatre for first-rate concert acts.

Mayor Johnson, just shelve the downtown arena folly right now.

Save the Kings in Natomas and you still look just as good.  And you still create plenty of construction jobs.

The answer is a no-brainer.

Time for someone with brains to make the right call.